What is it?
by Neuropsych
Summary: Short, and somewhat Complete
1. Default Chapter

Author's Note: Okay, I found it on my laptop and I honestly don't remember writing it out, but it's definitely my style of writing, and it's definitely on my laptop, so I have to assume it's mine. Since I have it, you might as well read it, even though it's pretty short.  
  
...  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I'm not sure."  
  
He looked at her, surprised, and she scowled.  
  
"You're not sure?"  
  
"No, Sir."  
  
"Is it a weapon?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"A piece of farming equipment?"  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
"Cooking utensil?"  
  
"I'm not sure, Sir." Her frown was deepening, and Jack knew he was starting to annoy her. But he couldn't help himself; Carter always seemed to know what everything was, and now she was stumped.  
  
"Work on it, Carter."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
He headed for the door, and passed Daniel, who was coming into the room.  
  
"Hey, Jack."  
  
"Daniel."  
  
"What's new?"  
  
"Ask Carter."  
  
"Um... okay."  
  
Daniel watched as Jack left, then turned to Carter, who looked frustrated. Of course, she'd just been speaking with Jack, so that wasn't a new thing. Far from it!  
  
"What's that?" Daniel asked, pointing at the thingamajig that Carter was staring at.  
  
"I'm not sure."  
  
"Really?"  
  
Sam sighed. "Don't start that, please?"  
  
"Sorry."  
  
He looked at the thing in question.  
  
"Is it a... cooking utensil?"  
  
"I don't know, Daniel."  
  
"So it might be?"  
  
Sam closed her eyes.  
  
"No, Daniel, I don't think so."  
  
"But it could be?" He pressed.  
  
"Daniel?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Go away."  
  
"Okay, sorry, Sam."  
  
He patted her shoulder reassuringly, and walked towards the door.  
  
"Hey, Teal'c, what's new?"  
  
"My shirt is new, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said, fingering the new t-shirt he was wearing.  
  
"Oh."  
  
There was silence for a moment, and then Daniel shrugged. "Well, I need to go. See you, Teal'c."  
  
"Good-bye Daniel Jackson."  
  
The Jaffa walked into the room and stood next to Sam, watching her with interest as she turned the object in her hand over to look at the bottom. Or maybe the top. She wasn't even sure about that.  
  
"What do you have there, Major Carter?" Teal'c asked, politely.  
  
Sam sighed.  
  
"I don't know, Teal'c."  
  
"Perhaps it is a weapon?"  
  
She shrugged, searching waaaay down deep for her last shreds of patience.  
  
"I'm not sure, Teal'c."  
  
"It could be a weapon."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Perhaps it is a cooking utensil?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Carter's teeth were starting to grate together as she clenched her jaw.  
  
"You seem tense, Major Carter," Teal'c observed.  
  
"I'm fine, Teal'c, thank you."  
  
"Perhaps if you 'sleep on it' you will have the object's purpose come to you."  
  
"It's noon, Teal'c." Sam sighed, and ran her fingers through her short, blonde hair.  
  
"I shall leave you alone, Major Carter."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Teal'c left the room, almost colliding with Doctor Fraiser. He bowed politely to her, and greeted her genially – for Teal'c that is.  
  
"Good afternoon, Doctor Fraiser."  
  
"Hello, Teal'c. How are you?"  
  
"I am fine. Thank you for your concern."  
  
"Good." She watched as he walked down the corridor, then saw Sam in the room, and walked in.  
  
"Hi, Sam."  
  
"Hi."  
  
"What do you have there?"  
  
Sam closed her eyes, and looked for something to hit herself over the head with.  
  
"I think it's a cooking utensil."  
  
...  
  
the end 


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: Hey! Look what I found! Remember this story anyone?_

OOOOOOOOO

"Ah, Major… _just_ the person I was looking for. Or was that… just the person who was looking for _me_?"

Sam Carter rolled her eyes and forced a polite expression.

"Doctor McKay."

"So…" his smile was smug and superior and it annoyed her immediately. "Where's this thing you can't figure out?"

"I didn't say I couldn't figure it out, McKay."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't. I just mentioned that I wasn't completely _positive_ what it was."

"Which sounds a whole lot like '_I can't figure this thing out…_' doesn't it?"

She scowled.

"Never mind. I'll figure it out."

"No. No. I'm here, now. Show it to me."

"No."

"_Come on_…" A look at her expression made it clear that she wasn't going to agree, and he tried another tack. "Look… you shouldn't be bothered by this thing. You're _smart_, Carter, just not as smart as _me_. It's not _your_ fault you don't know everything."

"Oh, and _you_ do?"

He tried to look modest and failed.

"Well… maybe not _everything_…"

"Oh, _please_…"

"C'mon, just let me see it."

"What are _you_ doing here, McKay?"

The new voice had both of them turning around, and Jack O'Neill walked into the room with a scowl on his face that should have warned McKay not to be flippant.

He didn't even notice.

"I'm here to succeed where Sam here has failed."

O'Neill's scowl deepened. He didn't like the smug attitude and especially wasn't all that keen on the informal address.

"What does that mean?"

"He's here to look at the device they brought back from C9-099, Sir."

"The one she couldn't figure out," McKay added.

"How did you find out about it?"

Carter looked a little sheepish.

"I called him, sir."

"You _called_ him?"

"Yes." She noticed McKay puffing up like a bantam rooster, and sighed. "Although now I wish I hadn't."

"Just let me at it," McKay told her. "And I'll be happy to explain this device to you." He looked around. "I believe your lab is _this_ way…?"

And with that he walked out the door, heading for the corridor that led towards Sam's lab. Jack and Carter followed at a fair distance.

"You _called_ him?"

"It was driving me _crazy_…" she whispered. "I just can't figure out what the stupid thing is and-"

"Why didn't you call someone… _normal_?"

"McKay probably has the best chance of telling us what it is."

"And the best chance of driving me insane," O'Neill told her. "Why not bring in a swarm of killer bees, too? Just to add some ambiance?"

"He's not that bad, sir," she said, stung.

"You know, Major," McKay said, stopping at one of the intersections in the corridor. "You _could_ go get me a sandwich. By the time you get it to me, I'll probably have this whole thing figured out."

"Watch it, McKay," Jack snapped, even before Carter could retort. "You're pushing it."

He gave O'Neill an innocent look.

"I was just thinking that it would save time, Colonel. I missed lunch coming here and airplane food is good but _not_ very filling."

"The lab's this way," Sam said, hoping to change the subject before the other astrophysicist found himself laid out on the deck. She turned to her CO. "I'll get back with you on this thing, sir."

"You don't want me to stick around?"

She shook her head.

"_I'm_ not even going to stick around – if I can avoid it."

Jack scowled once more, gave McKay another warning look, and turned, heading for the control room.

"Come on, McKay."

He watched as she moved out ahead of him and couldn't help but admire the view.

"She wants me."

There was a loud snort, and McKay turned and glared at the Marine who was guarding the corridor.

"Who asked you?"

Before the Marine could reply – assuming he was going to – McKay hurried along after Carter.

OOOOOOOOOOO

"So?"

"I just _got_ here."

"Either you know what it is, or you _don't_."

"Look. How long have you had this thing?"

"About a week."

"Then give me a chance to-"

"How's it going?" A new voice interrupted.

Carter wasn't at all surprised to see that O'Neill hadn't stayed away long. As much as he didn't like McKay, he trusted him even less.

"He doesn't know what it is," she told him, unable to hide her smug smile.

"_Yet_," McKay corrected.


End file.
